and logistics teams eager to reduce any crop loss in transportation for export ; sales and marketing teams keen to rope in larger markets .
Your pitch to potential investors and funders also becomes straightforward , easy to communicate , and echoed by your marketing teams . It becomes an entire organism driven to the same goal , where teams work for the greater good . That enthusiasm drives people to build efficient systems : clear vision , transparent operational model , the right team , and strong communications .
Digital Footprint
Your vision is clear ; you hired the right people who are motivated and driven to see the business succeed . This becomes the basis of how you tell your story . The same story you shared with your team is the same story that will inspire your customers .
Website
When people log into your website , they may see rolling green landscapes littered with ripening avocado trees , with quotes from the founder and team members . You share various aspects of your business : the farmers , the technical support , the harvest and finally , the product . You then share the stories of your farmers .
Social Media
You start to share the stories of the farmers in more detail , videos , and onsite visits of the great work you do ; you are no longer selling us images every week and following weekly hashtags for the sake of it .
Your content will gravitate toward the best practices and how people can partner and engage with you . You can run live YouTube or LinkedIn discussions with other farmers and agricultural techs ; you could also rope in the meteorological department to share some exciting facts about tracking weather patterns .
You are no longer simply just another farmer selling products . You are a thoughtleader inspiring generations of new farmers who can become new independent small to medium scale farmers who can supply your business and grow a value chain .
One person ’ s vision to emerge from poverty turned into an agricultural business , lifting generations of farmers out of poverty and propelling a country ’ s economy .
Visions Propel Business
It may sound overly simplistic , but the reality is that vision propels businesses . A strong vision never forgotten and driven by talented , competent teams drives businesses decades and even centuries beyond the founder . The secret lies in never forgetting WHY you start businesses and , in most cases , ensuring that it is stated in simple language a 10-year-old could understand .
Back to the organizations consulting me the past few weeks , some founders forgot why they started their businesses . Other founders had not forgotten their vision ; they had just turned it into a complex and abstract concept they no longer knew how to share with their now uninspired teams . They also compromised their hiring process because it became clinical ; they just needed things done .
When you focus on checking off boxes , you attract the paper pushers and those looking for number one : themselves . No one will care about your organization ; they are in it for the pay . You are a stop on their journey ; they don ’ t feel confident sharing ideas to improve your business because you don ’ t seem invested in their dreams and aspirations .
That leaves staff and teams operating willy-nilly as they please because , after all , no one cares . That is the beginning of the end . That is where you get stuck in your communication and marketing because people will say what they think - whatever comes to their heads . Because , after all , they are not that invested .
As I said earlier , vision propels business . Business is systems , people and processes ; when that is aligned , your communication and marketing fall in place . Without the vision , you have horrible products , services , teams , processes and , by extension , terrible business .
If you are struggling with your marketing and communication , take a moment to ask yourself a simple question - why did I start this business ? And figure out where you went wrong with your vision , operations , and hiring . Then , have a conversation with the respective teams to fix the problem as you clean up your marketing and communication .
Rose Odengo is seasoned Strategy and Communication Consultant . You can commune with her on this or related matters via email at : ask @ roseodengo . com